The North Luzon Expressway (NLE or NLEx), and which is formerly called the North Diversion Road and Manila North Expressway (MNEX), and officially known as Radial Road 8 is a 2 to 8-lane limited-access toll expressway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the Philippines. It is one of the two branches of the Radial Road 8 (R-8) of Metro Manila (Quirino Highway is the other). It was built in the 1960s.

There is a proposed direct interchange between the North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. The interchange is located 3 km. north of Sta. Ines Exit. Currently, the Spur/NLE exit served as the connection between the expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway via Clark Spur Road.

The expressway, including Andres Bonifacio Avenue, has total length of 88 kilometers. The expressway segment has a length of 84 kilometres.

Originally controlled by the Philippine National Construction Corporation or PNCC, operation and maintenance of the NLEx was transferred in 2005 to the Manila North Tollways Corporation, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (formerly, it was the subsidiary of the Lopez Group of Companies until 2008). A major upgrade and rehabilitation has been completed in February 2005 and the road has now similar qualities as a modern French tollway. The main contractor of the rehabilitation work was Leighton Contractors Pty. Ltd (Australia) with Egis Projects, a company belonging to the French Groupe Egis as the main subcontractor for the toll, telecommunication and traffic management systems. To help maintain the safety and quality of the expressway, various rules are in effect, such as restricting the left lane to passing vehicles only and banning overloaded trucks.

The NLEx Segment 8.1 or the NLEX Mindanao Avenue Link is a four lane, 2.7 kilometer expressway that runs from Mindanao Avenue to the NLEx cloverleaf in Valenzuela City. This is an alternate route to NLEx from Manila. Open to traffic on July 10, 2010. This segment is a part of C-5 Road North Extension.

The NLEx Segment 8.2 will connect NLEx segment 8.1 to the Congressional Avenue and Luzon Avenue. MNTC is ready to undertake its next road project called NLEX C-5 Link that will connect the north to the south via C-5, Rodrigo E. Franco, MNTC president announced Franco said the new project is an important section of the Manila North Expressway concession of MNTC. The 7.85-km NLEX C-5 Link will connect the NLEX main to C-5 through Mindanao Ave. Estimated cost is at P6.1 billion, inclusive of operating equipment and other facilities with commercial operations expected to begin by June 2016.

Ramon S. Fernandez, MPTC president, said the project “represents MPTC’s continuing commitment in investing in projects that will promote economic development in both the urban areas and in the countryside.”

Earlier, MNTC completed a 2.7 km expressway that links the NLEX main to Mindanao Avenue with the country’s largest cloverleaf interchange called Smart Connect Interchange as its main feature.

When completed, NLEX C-5 Link will dramatically decongest traffic along Commonwealth Avenue and Quezon Avenue – the normal route of southbound motorists from northwest of Metro Manila. This will significantly cut down travel time and generate savings on fuel and vehicle wear and tear.

There are plans for a construction of an elevated road to connect North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

The government has reportedly accepted an unsolicited proposal from Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC) to build the 13.24-kilometer road. MPTDC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), which runs NLEX.

Known as the Connector Road project, the elevated expressway will have a distance of 13.24 kilometers with 10.54 kilometers right over the Philippine National Railways tracks and the remaining 2.7 kilometers over Osmeña Highway.

It will be connected in the north to Segment 10, which will soon be constructed through the cities of Caloocan and Valenzuela. In the south, it will be linked to the skyway near Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) in Makati City. Once completed, the Connector Road will have four entry and exit points: C-3 Road in Caloocan, España and Quirino Avenue in Manila, and Buendia in Makati.

Construction of the project is estimated to cost P17 billion, but as an "all-elevated" structure, right-of-way acquisition shall be reduced to an estimated cost of only P2.41-billion. Construction is anticipated to start when NLEX Segments 9 and 10 are complete.

The tollway has two sections: an open section and a closed section.[1] The open section (within Metro Manila) charges a flat toll based on vehicle class and is employed to reduce the number of toll barriers (and associated bottlenecks) within the metropolis. The closed section is distance-based, charging based on the class of vehicle and distance traveled. Class 1 vehicles can use an electronic toll collection system (called EC Tag) to reduce wait times and congestion at toll barriers. A prepaid magnetic card (the NLE Badge) is provided as an alternative payment for class 2 and 3 vehicles. Both systems connect to accounts that can be replenished in various ways. As of October 1, 2011, all tolls (as shown below) include the 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT).

Much of the expressway has been built to U.S. Interstate highway standards, featuring eight lanes through Metro Manila. As it enters the more rural area north of Manila, the expressway narrows to 6 and then 4 lanes with a grass median to separate the two carriageways.

All signage is in English, and are nearly identical to the "big green signs" (BGS) on American expressway, including white lettering on a green background, with the exit tab in the upper-right corner (distance signs even employ a font similar—if not identical—to the Caltrans font; all other signs employ a different font).

Like expressways in most American states, the NLEx uses a distance-based sequencing for numbering interchanges. Being a metric country, though, the system is kilometer-log rather than mile-log--exits numbered according to the distance (in kilometers) from Rizal Park in Manila, which is designated as Kilometer Zero in Luzon.

NLEX in San Simon. The portion of NLEX in Pampanga is a four-lane expressway.

The NLEX has 8 lanes, which has 4 lanes in both directions from the Balintawak to Burol segment, 6 lanes with 3 lanes for both directions on the Burol to Sta. Rita segment and 4 lanes with 2 lanes for both directions on the Tabang Spur, Sta. Rita to Dau segment. There is even a part of the NLEX which consists of only 2 lanes, one for each direction. This segment is located after passing through the SCTEx Exit (Northbound).

It was announced on 7 November 2013 that the Manila North Tollways Corporation will expand the number of lanes of Santa Rita-San Fernando segment from four lanes to six lanes and SCTEx-Santa Ines segment from two lanes to four lanes. The expansion works will begin in 2014.[3]

100 km/h for cars and jeepneys, 80 km/h for trucks and buses, and 60 km/h is the minimum for all classes of vehicles. Speed limits are strictly enforced via CCTV cameras and speed guns, and speeders are usually identified as soon as they hit the tollbooth.

The entire stretch of the expressway underwent another rehabilitation regarding its drainage systems. The expressway is known to be flooded during the rainy season and the goal of the project is to fix the drainage systems within the road to prevent flooding. Within this period, certain lanes of the road were closed to the traffic. This in turn caused massive traffic jams along the road and the speed limit on the construction sites were reduced from 80/100 km/h to 60 km/h.

The program started on 12 February 2007 and finished on 7 October 2007.

The expressway was featured in the music video to the song "Toll Gate" by the band Hale.

It was also featured in the movie "Sa North Diversion Road" in 2005, based on Tony Perez's stage play of the same name. It was created by Dennis Marasigan.

From 6–17 June 2007, "On North Diversion Road", the play written by Tony Perez, was performed at The Arts House, Singapore, by young & W!LD, an actor training division of Singapore's W!LD RICE Theatre.

Northbound exit/Southbound entrance. This exit is directly connected to Quirino Highway (R-8 Alternate). It is an alternate route to other parts of Quezon City and Bulacan province. Motorists from EDSA northbound must take the service road to Quirino Highway.

Proceeding northbound, motorists pay the open system toll at this plaza. If the motorist exits on or before Marilao Exit, it will encounter no further plazas. Beyond this, motorists enter the closed system and will pay the closed system's toll at the toll plaza for their exit. There is a runaway truck ramp next to the toll plaza. The corporate offices of Manila North Tollways Corporation and Tollways Management Corporation are also located here.

Proceeding on the southbound lane, motorists pay the toll for both the closed and open systems at this plaza. This makes it the last toll plaza that motorists encounter southbound, regardless of where motorists exit beyond this point.

Exits to Tabang Spur Road. Northbound exit/Southbound entrance. Southbound exit/Northbound entrance can be reached via Santa Rita Exit. Before NLEx was extended towards Mabalacat, it was just a curve.

34Northbound

Balagtas Exit

Half Y

Northbound Exit/Southbound Entry. Opened on 20 March 2012, this exit goes directly to the Plaridel Bypass Road which bypasses the town propers of Guiguinto and Plaridel, and serves as an alternative route to the town of Balagtas. It also replaced Tabe Exit located in the middle of Tabang Spur in the town of Guiguinto.

This exit is situated in the end of Tabang Spur Road. The original expressway ended here from 1967 to 1976 when NLEX was extended from the curve that is now the Tabang Spur Road interchange up to Dau. Going straight leads to Malolos, Paombong and Hagonoy via MacArthur Highway. Right goes to Maharlika Highway and Santa Rita Exit. Left goes to Guiguinto town proper and Balagtas via MacArthur Highway.

West goes to MacArthur Highway. East goes to Maharlika Highway. Vehicles from the southbound lanes can take this exit to Malolos and Baliuag. Vehicles from both the northbound and southbound lanes can take this exit to Pulilan town proper and Calumpit and may also serve as an alternate exit from the north instead of the Sta. Rita Exit for vehicles going to Nueva Ecija, Aurora Province and Cagayan Valley region.

West goes to barangays Panipuan and Sindalan in San Fernando. East goes to Mexico town proper and the Lakeshore Estates. It replaced the old Lakeshore exit, located south of the exit, during the rehabilitation of NLEx.

This is an alternate route for vehicles bound for Clark Freeport Zone and Clark International Airport, via Aniceto Gueco Street. West goes to Pulung Maragul via Pandan Road where Marquee Mall is visible in the roadside. East goes to Pulung Cacutud and Magalang. Before the NLEx rehabilitation, the Old Angeles Exit was located at the Angeles-Magalang Road overpass, located at the south of the current exit, and it was a small parclo interchange.

Exits to Dau Access Road in Barangay Duquit. Further west lies Dau and its commercial center and bus terminal. This exit is mostly taken by motorists bound for Tarlac, Pangasinan, Ilocos Provinces, Abra, La Union and Baguio. This is yet another alternate route to Clark Special Economic Zone. It was formerly a terminus of NLEx before it was extended further to Santa Ines in 1989. Before the NLEx rehabilitation, it was a signaled intersection which pose risks to motorists.

85Northbound

SCTEx Exit

Half Y (Future: Trumpet)

Connects the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and NLEX via Clark Spur road at barangays Mabiga and Balem. This may be taken by motorists bound for Bataan, Olongapo, Subic Bay Freeport and Tarlac City for a shorter traveling time for now. The end of the exit is Mabalacat/NLEX/Clark Logistics Exit, which serves as the connector of the spur road and SCTEx itself. This is the only connection to SCTEx at this time until NLEX is extended in a northeast direction to connect with SCTEX and will serve as exit for Subic and Clark-bound vehicles.

Exits to Mabalacat-Magalang Road. This is the current end of the expressway, with the possibility of extending the expressway from this exit in a northeast direction until it meets up with the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. West goes to Mabalacat city proper, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Ilocos Provinces, Abra, La Union and Baguio, and east goes to the Concepcion-Magalang Road.

This exit will serve as a direct access to the North Food Exchange Complex and to the town of Balagtas, Bulacan. The construction was temporarily stopped in 2011 due to the delays in developing the site of the project.

36

NLE-NLEE Interchange

This is an interchange with the proposed provincial spur road of North Luzon East Expressway.

This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp in España Boulevard, Sampaloc, Manila. This exit takes the motorists to the proposed northern extension of Metro Manila Skyway which travels over the C-2 Road, some portion of the Osmeña Highway and further into the South Luzon Expressway, this may have few exits and therefore a faster route.

This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp in Quirino Avenue, Malate, Manila. This exit takes the motorists to the proposed northern extension of Metro Manila Skyway which travels over the C-2 Road, some portion of the Osmeña Highway and further into the South Luzon Expressway, this may have few exits and therefore a faster route.